Laen
Laen was a very rare, unbreakable volcanic glass, mined deep within the earth. Technically a gemstone, a great variety of items could be made from it, such as jewellery, weapons, lenses, and even large structures. It was normally found in unique volcanic plugs, pillars of stone which hardened within the shafts of dormant or extinct volcanoes. These deposits correspond with the land formed during the first titanic wars between Morgoth and the other Valar, when Middle-Earth was being shaped. It had the strange quality of melting in extremely cold temperatures, and becoming brittle and shattering at extremely high ones. 'History ' The secret of laen was first discovered by the elves of Middle-Earth, before the Valar invited them to live in Valinor. The Noldor brought the working of it to a fine art, finding natural deposits in Aman and creating many beautiful items, both decorative and practical. It was rumoured that the substance Feanor made the Silmarils from, called silima, was a special, clear laen that could not be destroyed by extremes of heat or cold. As he refused to reveal the secret of their making, this could never be confirmed. Then Melkor was released by the Valar from his long imprisonment, and allowed to dwell in Valinor. He spread lies amongst the elves, claiming that both the Valar and other elves were enemies; and suggested the creation of weapons for their own defence. They acted on this suggestion; many of the swords and other weapons they made were crafted of laen. The great fell swords Feanor made in his secret forge for himself and his sons were made of the substance. Throughout the First Age, laen continued to be used by the elves, and the dwarves also created many items from it. The Numenoreans and their descendants, the Men of Gondor were the only folk to work with laen on any scale. The first wall of the city of Minas Tirith was made of white laen, while the impregnable Tower of Orthanc at Isengard, five hundred feet in height, was crafted of black laen. Production of laen gradually declined in the Second Age, however, since the only places in Eriador that produced it were Dol Guldur and the Yellow Mountains. By the Third Age, the increasing scarcity of the material and the continuing departure of the elves for Valinor meant that few laen artefacts were made. At the beginning of the Fourth Age, it was mostly the dwarves who practiced the craft. While the rarity and utility of laen were legend, few Men by this time recognised or understood the substance. 'Properties ' Often called true-glass or elven-glass, laen was found in a pure form, and no refinement was required. Laen’s strength came from its incredibly long crystal lattice structure (the word ‘laen’ means ‘long thread’). This meant that it could be used to make unbreakable, razor sharp weapons. Many other items could be crafted with this glass, however; armour, scabbards, gems, jewellery, amulets, lenses, doors, seeing stones, artificial limbs, and even buildings. It was immune to acid of any kind and could not corrode. As a gemstone, it had a brilliance beyond any other gem. Laen was naturally magical, and held any enchantments put on it well. It was thus a popular material for making enchanted artefacts. It was frequently used by elven enchanters to work with because of the beauty of the items that resulted. Laen carving was a very rare craft only known to small circles. It was naturally transparent, with a black or smoky colour; but could also be made clear to the eye, or treated to tint it with a new colour during forging. It remained transparent, however, despite its tint. Some of these shades were: white, silver, grey, silver-grey, yellow, gold, red, green, brown, pink, and blue. Laen had the bizarre property of gaining rigidity and stiffness with heat. Only by cooling laen to incredibly low temperatures using magical cold forges did it become soft enough to work with; and tools of the metal eog were required to work it. These forges were created by burning the magic wood helvorn. The only tree or large plant that grows above timberline, helvorn was a pure white and silver tree with silver and light blue leaves. Helvorn ‘burned’ cold when split, but only if harvested and split within a day. After that helvorn lost its magical properties and was simply a very light white-blue wood with great durability and beauty. The Numenoreans and the Men of Gondor seem to have acquired some way of crafting huge laen structures such as the walls of Minas Tirith and the Tower of Orthanc without using helvorn cold forges - or at least this is the theory, as huge and unsustainable amounts of helvorn would have to be burnt in massive cold forges to create them. Exactly where they could have gained these new methods is unknown. Some suggest that the material used in the structures is not laen at all, but some other, unknown substance. Some famous arms and armour of laen are: Calninquë (Q. "White Cleaving") Originally the weapon of Glorfindel, the Elvish captain of the guard in Gondolin, Calninquë escaped the sack of the city only to be wielded in single combat against a Balrog as Glorfindel covered the escape of his companions. It fell into an abyss with the Balrog and its master — though Glorfindel's body was recovered, the blade was not. A two-handed sword, it was of clear laen with an edge of white eog. Caranlhach (S. "Red Leaping Flame") The red laen broadsword was used often and usually unwisely by Caranthir, the rash fourth son of Fëanor. Despite his quick temper and haste to take affront, he fought bravely in the Dagor Bragolloach. He was slain and Caranlhach taken from him when he assaulted Thingol's heir Dior in an attempt to steal the Silmaril. Celegorm's Broadsword From the First Age, this weapon of green laen matched its owner's green laen shield. Celegorm used the blade during his attempted abduction of Lúthien, and it failed him at the last when he attempted to steal the Nauglamir, which was set with a Silmaril, in Menegroth, and was slain by Dior. Earthroot Spike This is simply a long golden laen spike made long ago by the Dwarves of Erebor. It has no distinguishing marks, though it is well-worn. It cannot be removed from whatever it is driven into without the use of magic. Elros' Sword ("Foam-cleaver") The clear laen sword of the long-lived first King of Númenor was rarely used in battle following the settlement of Númenor after the wars against Morgoth. It became one of the hereditary possessions of the Kings of Númenor and may have survived the Downfall in the hands of Anarion, Isildur, Elendil, or one of their retainers, but no records of its fate exist. Gaerennon (S. "Sea Armor" or "Sea Cloak") This armour belonged to Cirdan, the great Elvish mariner and shipwright. It was forged of mithril and blue laen, with laces of tough, salt-resistant sea turtle hide. Torogrist (S."Troll-Cleaver") In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Q. "Battle of Numberless Tears"), Hurin used this battle-axe to slay seventy Trolls and numberless Orcs before he was finally buried under the carnage and thus taken by Morgoth. It is a two-handed axe with a blade of red laen. Some other laen artefacts are: Circlet of Blessings A thin circle of blue laen, twisted to form a hanging circle upon the wearer's brow. It belonged to Elrond, who wore it almost as the Crown of Rivendell. Elros' Staff Elros was the first King of Númenor, and his items became the hereditary property of his successors. This staff is a weightless, 6 foot long rod of clear laen, varying in thickness artfully near the ends. Each end is thicker than the middle, but the whole is carefully balanced. Finrod’s Silver Table Finrod's drawing table was a beautiful slanted surface of silver laen with niches and wells for the tools that went with it. Gift of Varda Ingwë's beautiful suspended medallion was a gift from the Vala it is named for. It was entirely a swirl of variously coloured laen, so artfully put together that it seemed constantly in motion, though completely static. Ring of Fire Fëanor's ring is sculpted of gold mithril and clear laen and fused with a large adamant ruby. Sceptre of the Teleri This sceptre was passed down among the Kings of the Teleri through the ages. Most recently, it was passed to Olwë, Thingol's younger brother, when Elwë vanished in Beleriand during the Great Journey and thus Olwë became King of the Teleri. The sceptre is of bright yellow laen inlaid with ithilnaur and set with topaz, adamant, and sapphires. Voice of the Dark Tower A mithril and black laen amulet belonging to the Mouth of Sauron, this circular item resembles three concentric circles of ridged black and silver, with a central boss projecting up into the cone formed by the circles. It amplifies the wearer's voice, allowing him to be heard over great distances. Created and edited by Linfaren -- 13:58, August 19, 2017 (UTC) Category:Materials Category:Articles by Linfaren